Blue and Green: This is OUR Home
by PartyGod Douglas
Summary: The canonical continuation to the "We'll do it Together" Universe and once again written and inspired by the themes of another Lapidot Week (2016). Things start heating up for Peridot and Lapis as they continue to acclimate to life together. Now married, their lives are suddenly going to shift from being quiet and peaceful and mostly a side story to the center of attention.
1. After Gem Harvest (Day One: FallCold)

_**Hey there all! PartyGod Douglas here from TheMidnightGeeks, here to bring to you my personal dabbles into fanfiction with my another installment of Lapidot Weeks 2016, this story is going to come out more sporadically than the previous installment because of life complications so I was unable to prepare most of it ahead of time like the first Lapidot week, but you will be getting all of the fanfiction-y goodness you have come to expect from me! Thank you for returning, and if you aren't returning then be sure to read my first fic "We'll do it Together" because it too, is great. This story is taking place directly after "Gem Harvest." Much after that, I think that's all you need to know. Read, laugh, love and enjoy!**_

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"Are you sure about this Peridot?"

Lapis asked her smaller, greener, gem counterpart.

"More than certainly, Lapis! Our rings will make the perfect final additions to our self-portraying meepmorp. Now, may I have your hand?"

Peridot outstretched her small green hand towards her barn mate expectantly. Lapis looked down at the green gemstone attached to a small metal band laced around her finger.

"You went through so much to get this to me, though. Even after I tried to run away from you and from our home. It wouldn't be right if I didn't keep it close to me." Lapis replied holding her ring bearing hand to her chest and covering it with her ringless one.

Peridot grabs Lapis' hand and pulls them down closer to her being.

"All of that's incredibly correct Lapis, but let me ask you something of utmost value," Peridot stared up to look at Lapis whose head was cast off to the right, her gaze avoiding peridot's

Lapis nods her head.

"Will you still be the gem I married with or without this ring?"

Lapis' expression widened and without turning her head she met Peridot's intense stare with a flustered side glance.

"Yes." she replied plainly.

"Then See no reason logically why you need to keep this ring, but if you would prefer to hang on to it then you are more than welcome to keep it."

Peridot outstretches Lapis' left hand and singles out the ring finger. Peridot then swathes her hand in front of her face removing her visor. She pulls Lapis' ring nd more specifically the stone on it and touches the peridot stone to her own gem.

"Your happiness is more important to me than completing one meepmorp."

Lapis still refused to full on look at her green gem wife but her cheeks quickly warmed up causing a large portion of her face that was faced towards Peridot to go a deep blue, all before snorting in her trademark way.

"Okay, okay, you've convinced me."

Peridot looked up, her eyes glimmering with hope and anticipation.

"But if isn't too much, I'd like to hold on to it- for a just bit longer."

peridot's expression notably dropped causing Lapis to start perspiring nervously.

"You did chase me through a really bad storm just to give it to me. I know thunderstorms still make you nervous."

Peridot reels back from her blue wife.

"I, the great and courageous Peridot, fear no naturally occurring meteorological phenomenon."

As if the universe itself was determined to challenge the tiny gem's claim, a flash of lightning followed quickly by a crack of thunder roared in the skyline above causing all of Peridot's hairs to stand on end sending her to the ground on all fours running and ducking cover behind Lapis.

peridot wasn't the only creature aiming to acquire safety from Lapis' being, however, as a small, sentient pumpkin dog soon found its way into Lapis' arms.

Lapis sighs.

"C'mon you two. Let's get into the barn where we are safe."

Lapis pulls veggie head closer to her chest and pets Peridot on top of her oblong hair causing her to glance up at Lapis who was wearing a small, reassuring, toothless smile.

Peridot clasped Lapis' hand and laced her stubby green fingers between Lapis' slender sky blue ones and the family walked towards the entrance of the barn.

Once inside, veggie head hopped out from Lapis' arms and began rummaged around the piles of meepmorp making material the blue and green duo had strewn about the barn.

For purely intentional, aesthetic, purposes of course.

Lapis picked up the green gem and gently beat her water wings in such a way as to gently propel them onto their hammock which has become such a familiar locale for the pair ever since they picked up on sleeping.

Lapis nestles Peridot into a little spoon position and Lapis takes her larger, slender frame and wraps it around Peridot's shorter , stout one.

They laid there in silence. A very comfortable silence acquired by two people who have been around each other for a long time. Peridot and Lapis have been practically inseparable since the rubies were chased off after the baseball game and through that time a lot of bonding occurred at an exponential rate that would take humans years to get to, and yet here peridot was lovingly draped by her blue wife on a stormy night.

Odd it hasn't rained yet.

"I'm really thankful that Andy let us keep this barn."

Peridot's voice was quiet and sincere, something that isn't common and always immediately grabs the attention of those in the room when it happens.

"I am too." Was all Lapis could think to say, but that was more than enough.

"I know we could have forced him off anytime. Between my drones and your abilities, it wouldn't have been hard." Peridot continued

Lapis pulled Peridot in a little closer after she said that.

"Yeah. It would have been."

Peridot made a low-sounding hum of agreement.

"But I'm a lot happier with how it went out instead."

Peridot turned her herself towards her wife, her oblong hair brushing against Lapis' torso, then the cloth of the hammock until Peridot was completely turned around and face to face with the blue gem in an incredibly intimate fashion.

"Why's that? Because we didn't hurt any of Steven's family again?"

Lapis chuckled under her breath before clasped the side of Peridot's face with her hand, the ring gleaming in the corner of Peridot's visor-covered eyes.

"More than that."

"What do you mean?"

Lapis pulled Peridot's forehead to her own.

"We've already talked about it a little a few weeks ago. If we would have attacked Andy and taken the barn for ourselves just because we believe we had some claim over this land because we were stronger and superior then we would be no better than Homeworld who doesn't think twice about the homes it's taken away from hundreds of planets."

Peridot started tearing up and cast her gaze off into the cloth of the hammock.

"But this is our home, Lapis. We weren't just trying to take it and use it. We love this place. Our meepmorps, our vegetables, everything- we couldn't give that up."

Lapis put her hand out in between her and Peri's faces and started moving her fingers with subtle flair. With that, the liquid coagulating at the corners of Peridot's eyes were sliding cleanly from under her visor and forming a small orb above the pair lying in the hammock.

"We would have never given up our home, Peridot. Even if we did have to 'fight' with Andy we would have been doing it to protect something we love, not to destroy it eventually like Homeworld."

Lapis then flicks her wrist in the direction of the barn's entrance which catches the attention of veggie head who was chewing on a couple of sweaters he had dug out of one of the meepmorp piles. The little pumpkin dog runs towards the entrance of the barn.

Peridot smiles a small happy smile at her blue wife and delivers a chaste kiss to her forehead.

Peridot's usual confidence returned

"It probably helped our case when Andy found out that we were married ourselves. I genuinely believe that even if we weren't married he would have probably gifted us the barn, but I'm saying it probably didn't hurt our chances here."

Lapis snorts instantly thinking about this.

"Remember how hard he yelled at Greg whenever he found out that we were married, us, the aliens from another galaxy before his own human cousin. I never thought Andy's face would return back to its intended shade!" Peridot continued to her blue wife's bemusement.

"I'm certain that helped us." Lapis quietly stated after she finished her fit of laughter.

Both gem's attention were grabbed when they heard the sound of veggie head barking.

Lapis tightened her grip around Peridot's small, stout frame and quickly summoned her water wings and beat wing to the entrance of the barn. Veggiehead stopped barking when they arrived.

"WHAT IS IT VEGGIEHEAD?!" Peridot yelled

"LAPIS! Put me down, I need to get my drones." Peridot said squirming around and frantically looking around the barn for her remote control

"Peridot, there's nothing out here."

Peridot stopped squirming.

"What?"

Lapis brushed the tarp out of the way to make it easier for Peridot to see.

Veggiehead looked up at the due excitedly.

"It's just rain?"

Lapis said, a stutter of confusion in her inflection.

"Actually Lapis, this is not rain. It's snow. So it's snowing."

"How is that any different from rain?" Lapis deadpanned, control the snow like water to emphasize the point.

"It's not so different. They are surprisingly similar. They are both forms of meteorological precipitation; the main difference comes from the temperature of the region one is in. If it is cold enough, where it would normally rain instead it snows."

"Interesting."

Lapis sets Peridot down.

"So what do you usually do when it snows?" Lapis asked, her face genuinely puzzled.

"For humans, it's too cold for them so they have to apply layers- but after that, they have been noted to play in it."

Lapis put a finger to her chin, a loud 'hmm' humming out.

"Well, we've got some layers."

Lapis points towards the sweaters veggie head were chewing on unsuccessfully.

"We're gems, so we don't really need it but I know you like wearing clothes and I figured if it's a part of the ritual I could try it as well."

Peridot's eyes lit up with stars.

"That's sounds amazing Lapis! C'mon let's get ready to enjoy the cold."

Peridot grabs Lapis' arm and pulls her along to the sweaters, veggie head follows close behind.

The two sweaters on the ground were as follows. One was a blue sweatshirt that had white text on it reading 'Hi, I'm Bob. Are you married' which Lapis snorted to herself before picking it up and gracefully putting it on, it being far too big for her but she wasn't too affected by that.

While the other was a green-hooded sweatshirt which featured a symbol which looked like Peridot's aliens but instead of having a rounded head, this one's head was more triangular with two orbs for eyes and two horn-like appendages up top its flat head. Peridot grabbed that one immediately and attempted to pull it over her massive hair, after a few cartoonish moments she pulled it over, leaving behind a slightly larger neck hole to add on to the already baggy sweatshirt which covered nearly her whole body, leaving only several inches of her legs uncovered by its size.

"Are you ready to go out in the cold and enjoy your first snow, Lapis?" Peridot's being beaming.

Lapis closed her eyes and smiled, "I suppose so."

The two grabbed one another's hand and head out into the snowy terrain, a small pumpkin dog barking happily behind.


	2. Snow day! (Day 2- Snow)

_**Day two: Snow**_

A soft barking is heard in the moderate snowfall. The small pumpkin dog is jumping along through the powder blanketing the ground.

Peridot stared out at the horizon with the a sense of wonder only comparable by someone who had never seen snow before

Which isn't too far from the truth for the Green Gem.

Lapis looked on with a disinterested gaze but a small smile whenever she would look down at the enthused green gem just next to her.

"I've never seen anything quite so beautiful," Peridot took a couple of quick side glances to her left and right to get the full scope and bearings of the snowstorm around them. "Or as monochrome."

"I've seen stuff like this before." Lapis said absent mindedly.

Peridot's eyes shimmered.

"From back when you terraformed for homeworld?"

Lapis tightened her grip around Peridot's hand.

"Yeah."

"WOW! Honestly all of that must have been amazing. I've never actually seen Lapis Lazuli's terraform before. Kindergartens were never built anywhere near water because the ground is either unsuitable or the insertion/extraction point is far too complicated to work with-"

Lapis let go of Peridot's hand before the green gem could finish her train of thought. She walked forward several feet before kneeling down on the ground and putting her hands down into the snow.

"The point being," Peridot shortened her rant. "You must have seen hundreds of planets that were like this before everything happened. So this probably isn't as special for you to see."

Lapis' hands moved together from either side of her body and connected towards her center.

"Can I be completely honest with you Peridot?"

Lapis' tone was solemn and heavy.

"Of course you can," Peridot raised her tiny fists up in determination. "You can trust me with anything you know that!"

Suddenly a white, powdery orb collided with Peridot's covered face causing her to fall down, both from shock and from the sheer force of the hit. Peridot could hear a loud snort belonging to her one and only.

"Lazuli, am I to assume that you are trying to challenge me to a competition of liquid propulsion. A competition which was featured prominently in the season two finale of 'Camp Pining Hearts'?"

Lapis didn't say anything. Instead she opted to hold out her arms with her palms facing downward. A stream of snow began rising slowly to fill in the empty void of Lapis' hand and in almost no time flat Lapis had two fully-prepared projectile weapons to Peridot's empty arsenal. The blue gem lowered into a ready position and gave off a healthy smirk causing the Green gem's hair to stand on end before she beat a hasty retreat deeper into the snowstorm and getting lost in the winter air.

Pumpkin started barking playfully in Peridot's assumed direction.

"Got get her Pumpkin! Go find Peridot for me." Lapis said playfully to the pumpkin pup.

Pumpkin quickly ran as fast as their little legs could carry them. Happy barks disappearing in the same direction Peridot was seen running in.

Lapis treaded carefully in that same direction. Keeping her eyes fixated on any possible angle of attack. She had been following the happy barks that can just barely reach Lapis over the intensity of the snowstorm. Soon the barks stopped and with it Lapis' nerves started to creep up. Her trotting through the snow became more slow and eerie as she moved forward into essentially the unknown.

"Pumpkin! Please bark whenever you find Peridot," Lapis shouted out. "So I can peg her with a snowball, of course."

Lapis' tone bled with concern for her wife and their adopted pumpkin dog. Their place on Earth definitely wasn't without its worries or concerns. Even though their location in the countryside provided them with a great deal of safety from the ongoing chaos that was consuming Steven and the other crystal gem's lives that didn't mean Peridot and Lapis were completely safe, just safer than everyone else.

Lapis was shaken out of her dark thoughts by the familiar sound of her beloved pumpkin companion. Lapis listened closely to where the sound was coming from and quickly turned in that direction and walked at a normal pace; relieved that all of her worst fears have not been met. Lapis eventually made enough headway in the direction she was going to make out a clear outline of a barking Pumpkin.

There was something wrapped around them as well.

Lapis stopped walking and quickly went to kneel down and scoop up Pumpkin when they came to her.

"NYEHEHEHEH!"

A snowball beaned Lapis Lazuli squarely in the face and the culprit of the slung icy material was her wife sitting cross-legged on a jury-rigged dogsled made up of some rope and a garbage can lid.

"You might have a significant advantage over me when it comes to crafting and propelling these icy weapons, but there's no way you could possibly be able to conquer my raw ingenuity!"

Peridot began throwing more snowballs of her stunned wife who was simply letting them hit her as she clenched her hands into the snow.

"The same raw ingenuity that allowed me to outwit Steven and the other gems on multiple occasions and eventually led to my glorious triumph over the cluster and allowed me to assume my rightful position as the Leader of th-"

Peridot was cut off short by the sight of dozens of snowballs floating in mid-air. Lapis stood up slowly and Peridot stared at her. Her face wincing in slight terror at the sight before her.

Peridot gulped.

"Abort." She said weakly before lifting her own hands up and rocketing off into the air just as dozens of snowballs were sent hurling in her direction.

Peridot soon made it above the low cloud line but upon coming to a stop when she felt safe her lid flung around wildly as the still attached Pumpkin flew past Peridot and nearly threatened to flip her over, but the strain on the rope caused it to snap and allowed Pumpkin several more yards of air before eventually arching and making her descent.

"PUMPKIN!" Peridot screeched, thrusting her hands back in a position which would allow her to send herself forward.

In a very close call, Peridot's beeline was able to save Pumpkin with a hard thud and shaky landing.

Peridot held her Pumpkin tightly in her arms before taking a fearful look at her snowball supply. During all the insane stunt and rescues Peridot lost nearly all of her built up supply. This war was not shaping up well for her.

"Well girl, it looks like we need to refocus our efforts and regroup if we want to defeat Lapis. It won't be easy, but I was one-half of the team who successfully encased the cluster so nothing is impossible!"

Lapis Lazuli slowly rose through the cloud line behind the proud Peridot. Pumpkin being the only one looking at the blue gem began to bark, alerting Peridot to what's behind her. Her visor filled with the image of hundreds of snowballs all surrounding the blue gem.

"Lapis. Let's be reasonable about this. Surely you don't want Pumpkin caught in the middle of all of this!"

A massive group of the snowballs all collide together to form a massive snow hand. This hand quickly pulls Pumpkin from Peridot's rudimentary sled and places them in Lapis' arms. Pumpkin snuggles up closely with Lapis.

"TRAITOR!" Peridot yells across the airspace.

The hand reconstitutes back in hundreds of little snowballs all aimed towards Peridot.

"Any last words, Peridot?" Lapis said with an icy demeanor.

Peridot thought for a few moments.

"I…Love you…my happy Lappy?" Peridot gave a crooked, uncertain smile.

Lapis didn't even move. Instead she let the hundreds of snowballs fly towards Peridot at a breakneck pace. Peridot shielded herself for imminent impact.

But it never came.

Peridot feeling brave decided to open her eyes and she witnesses hundreds of individual snowballs surround her with none of them compromising their spherical form. Then at the drop of a hat they all began falling down to the Earth. Peridot looked over the edge of her homemade hover device to see the beauty of these individual spheres making their way back to where they came from.

"Peridot." Lapis' voice called out to Peridot. Making her look up. A single snowball hit her in the face and Lapis couldn't help herself from laughing wildly.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," Lapis Snorts "But I was never going to hurt you just so you know."

Peridot was simply awestruck.

"Peridot? I'm sorry if I-"

The blue gem's arms were suddenly filled to the brim with both a pumpkin and her wife.

"Lapis. You never cease to amaze me!"

"I didn't scare you?"

"On no, you scared me almost as much as the thought of imminent death by the cluster did. But this simply means I have undergone the complete emotional spectrum necessary and required for a snow day! At least according to the 'Camp Pining Hearts' Season 2 finale."

"Really?"

"Yes! I was just like Pierre who was at first losing, then came back only to ultimately lose to a clearly superior force!"

"You're a special little gem. You know that, Peri?"

Peridot blushes lightly at the sincerity if the compliment.

"I've heard it once or twice."

Lapis lifts Peridot's visor and kisses her gem directly.

"Good. Now let's get home. It's been a long, fun day."

 _ **A/N: Sorry for being gone so long everybody. The time simply slipped away from me. Going to college full-time, Keep a job mostly full-time, Running a youtube channel full-time and all the other little eccentricities of my life have kept me busy. But I am back and will finish this story (using the Lapidot week frame work I started it with) and possibly do a sequel not bound by the guideline of a fandom event. Which will make it interesting.**_

 _ **Also, apologies on the short chapter. I wanted to get this out quick to you guys and also I am getting back into the swing of things.**_


	3. Everybody Dreams (Day 3 - Bodyguard AU)

**Day 3 (Body Guard AU)**

The snowfall outside slowed down to a comforting flurry as the barn trio descended down from the skyline after their epic snow-based duel. Pumpkin is fast asleep in Peridot's arms and Peridot more than nodding off herself while she is being carried by Lapis. Lapis looks down at the pair with a drowsy, eyes-half-open gaze.

"We've really come a long way from being Homeworld gems."

Lapis lands at the entrance of the barn, absorbing her wings back into her gem.

"This is probably the fifth night in a row that we are going to sleep through."

Peridot, like the pumpkin in her arms, is now fully asleep in Lapis' arms.

"Blue Diamond would have a lot to say about me doing this, but you Peridot; your manager might've shattered you if you ever tried this back on Homeworld."

Lapis walked herself and her loved ones to the hammock but stopped for a moment right before settling in.

"I don't want to wake them up by getting situated in the hammock."

Lapis turned around to find a more suitable arrangement just for tonight. All that was on the first floor was a beach chair they borrow on one of their many adventures outside of the barn.

Those were stories for another time.

Lapis summoned her wings and gently flew to the loft area of the barn and found her favorite reading chair. She landed next to it softly and reached down for the lever, grabbing and pulling it allowing the seat to unfold its full length. She then laid Peridot and her precious Pumpkin to bed in the recliner. A small smile graced her lips.

She summoned her wings with the utmost silence once again before descending down to the first floor with the utmost care. She listened for a quick moment to see if she had woken up her company. A minute or two of quiet in and Lapis determined she would be able to take herself to bed now.

A quick climb into the hammock and Lapis was comfortable as can be.

 _I love sharing with Peridot,_ Lapis thought. _But she does move around a lot so it will be nice to have a still night._

And with that thought, Lapis was sound asleep on her stomach, comfortable as can be. Within a minute or two the blue gem's eyes were shut tight and her breathing normalized. She was asleep peacefully without a care in the world tonight.

Some time passed. A pair of green eyelids slowly starting blinking themselves awake.

"Laaaaaapisss."

A groggy Peridot's call went unanswered. The Green Gem slid her hands underneath her visor and rubbed her eyes to try and wake up.

"Lapis?" Peridot dictated more clearly being more awake.

A quick survey of her surroundings and Peridot noticed three things.

She was up in the loft area of the barn.

Lapis was not around.

And there was a strange luminescent, blue light coming from the main floor of the barn.

"Lapis? Is that you?"

No answer.

Peridot went to sit up more but was weighed down by the approximate weight of a sleeping, living pumpkin. Peridot cradled the precious up in her arms before standing up. When she made it to her feet, the gem steadily put the pumpkin down in the recliner. The green gem then slowly approached the ladder that goes to the barn's main floor and descended it with the utmost care so it wouldn't squeak the whole way down.

Peridot finally makes it to the main floor.

She looks at the sleeping form of her wife in the hammock and more importantly notices her gem is illuminated in a bright blue light. Peridot goes over to investigate Lapis and her glowing gem, but right as she got close Lapis turned over in her sleep onto her back. The light from the gem was blocked, but the mystery only thickened.

Lapis' eyes were mirrored over.

" _DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?"_

Peridot snapped to attention.

"Wait a minute. I recognize that voice."

Peridot turned around to the familiar voice. And it was just as Peridot thought,

"That's me."

Peridot said staring at a toppled over mirror in a random pile of junk. It was a stand-alone, full-length mirror that was understandably smudged considered where it was found and where it is now, but the images in the mirror couldn't be clearer. Peridot saw someone in the mirror that looked eerily like her if she were a human. Peridot pulled the mirror up from the pile it was lying in and stood it up on its base. Feeling secure about the Mirror's stability Peridot sat down on the ground in front of it with her legs crossed just watching what took place.

In the mirror, front and center stood the human Peridot. She was a short girl. Her complexion was a light caramel, and her blonde hair was gelled up into a triangle-esque shape. She adjusted her rounded spectacles staring up at the bouncer who was guarding the entrance to the club. There was a long line guarded by velvet ropes for about 10m out from the club's entrance. The line was probably four times that length. Peridot and one other figure were standing right in front of that huge line they just cut in front of.

"I am the great and loveable Peridot! I have performed at clubs and events that make this joint look like the spittoon in an old-west version of a dive bar."

"Ma'am. I understand your status as an up-and-coming EDM star, but I can't let you in after you cut past the entire line. This isn't some club where you can waive your status around and get handouts."

The Bouncer pushes on the fake triangular gemstone attached to the human Peridot's head, causing her to stumble. As quick as Peridot stumbles back, a hand which is a few shades darker than Peridot's grabs the bouncer's wrist and starts twisting it which causes the man to grunt in pain.

"Do you want me to break it, Peridot?"

Peridot ducked underneath the velvet ropes.

"No, Laz. He's not worth it." She responds without looking back.

Laz lets go of the man's wrist. The man instinctively grabs it and stares down the pair as they walk down the moonlit street.

The pair was silent as they marched down the poorly lit roads. Eventually, Laz decided to break the silence.

"I'm sorry that you weren't let in. I know you were really hoping to have a break tonight because touring has been so rough on you."

Peridot sighed.

"It's fine, Lazuli. That place was a dump anyway. I'm just worried that this touring isn't doing everything the label said it would. This tour was about building notoriety, but we're 32 shows in and 4 shows away from being done and I still feel like a replaceable cog in the EDM lineup. I was supposed to strike my name as an undeniable piece of the EDM genre."

Peridot stops, causing Lazuli to stop with her.

"But I only feel more lost."

Lazuli's face furrows listening to her boss.

"And I've been to so many places, I've seen so many fans, and I've gotten so close with so many people while I've been doing this scene, like you for instance, and I just don't want to lose everything and end up right back to where I was before I the label found me."

Tears start forming in Peridot's eyes. She tries rubbing them away before it's too noticeable, but she only makes it worse. Lazuli takes this moment to grab Peridot by both of her shoulders.

"Peridot."

Peridot doesn't appear to respond, looking down to the ground.

"Peridot. Look me in the eyes."

Peridot slowly looks up toward Lazuli's face. Peridot remarked on how Lazuli really did have a really nice figure. Her entire body was outfitted with a highly functional level of muscle. Her training left her slender and toned but in its wake left all the curviness of a full-bodied woman, and all of it accentuated by her skin tight workout pants, tight-fitting tank top, and a thin jacket because the night was a bit chilly. Peridot was jealous of her bodyguard in this way. Her body resembled something more akin to a few different sized bags of potatoes thrown together at random.

But you didn't need the perfect body in the world of EDM. Hell, someone wears a shark head while they perform.

"What is it, Lazuli?"

"I know you are worried about how everything is going to turn out, but I just want you to know that no matter what. I won't leave you."

Peridot stares blankly at Lazuli, making Lazuli uncomfortable.

"I mean. I know it probably doesn't mean too much having your bodyguard stick by you. But I just thought it might make you feel better if you knew that I wasn't just in this for the money. I genuinely care about you as a person."

"But why, " Peridot asked. "I've been nothing but obnoxious lately."

Lazuli pulls Peridot in and touches her forehead with her own.

"That's not who you are. It's just what you feel like right now."

Peridot couldn't hold it in any longer. Her tears were getting ready to flow. She pulled Lazuli in for a hug, feeling a great sense of comfort as she buried herself in the bodyguard's bosom.

"Well, this is touching. But both of you ladies better hand off some cash real quick or things are going to get a little dicey."

Lazuli looked behind her and saw a seedy-looking man standing near the dimly-lit street lamp.

"Peridot, get behind me."

"So what's it going to be ladies?"

Lapis removes her light jacket and throws it back to Peridot. Revealing a blue teardrop-shaped tattoo.

And an impressive set of back muscles.

" _Dear God."_ Peridot thought, looking at the muscles bend and move.

"I prefer to do things the hard way." Lazuli cracked her fists.

The seedy-looking man pulls out a knife.

Lazuli smiles.

The man thrusts the point of the knife forward to stab Laz, but she predicts this and sidesteps the crook. She grabs his wrist and twists it causing him to lose his grip on the knife. Lazuli punches the man a couple of times in his face before tossing him to the side onto the hard asphalt. The man's determination didn't dwindle as he got back up and assumed a lazy-looking fighting style. The man threw a couple of punches but Laz deflects these blows to either side before grabbing the man by his shoulders and kneeing him straight in the jaw sending him stumbling back landing on his butt.

Lazuli goes to walk over to the man who is now turned over on his stomach trying to push himself off of the ground. His right hand tenses up, especially while attempting this.

"I'm not going to kill you, but you going to want to call someone after I am done."

Lazuli reaches down to pick up the man by the collar of his shirt. The man smirks.

Peridot saw as the man turned around suddenly and almost instantly the knife he had pulled out at the beginning of the fight was up in the air, the blade now dripping the blood of its latest victim.

Lazuli grunted and then fell to her knees applying pressure to her abdomen where the knife had sliced her. Blood was seeping out at an alarming rate.

"LAZ!" Peridot ran up to her bodyguard.

The seedy-looking man looks on in mild shock.

"I-I thought she would have backed away. I-I didn't mean to cut her that deep."

Peridot threw a wadded up grouping of bills at the crook from her wallet.

"Just take it and get out of here. Haven't you done enough?"

The crook picks up the wadded bills and makes his way back into some alleyways. All the while Lazuli collapses to the ground, losing a lot of blood.

"Laz. Laz! Stay with me. You're going to be fine."

"I'm not so sure about that Peri. He got me really deep all the way across my stomach."

Lazuli starts coughing.

"At least I get to die protecting the most special person in the world to me. It's just a damn shame that I never got to tell you that I love you. I mean really love you."

Laz's breathing quickens and gets shallower.

"I only got to show it once and now I'm dying from it."

Laz coughing becomes more exaggerated.

"Doesn't that just suck?" She continues weakly.

"You didn't have to put yourself on the line for me. I'm wasn't worth your life."

Lazuli laughs breathily.

"Peridot. You were the only thing in my life worth anything."

Peridot went to say something but found herself unable to speak. Nothing she could say would mean as much as what she did in these final moments.

So Peridot stopped thinking and just let her body move.

Lazuli soon found that her lips were being met by another soft, quivering pair. Peridot unable to say anything decided to do the only thing she could think of and that was to kiss her dying friend.

No.

To kiss her dying love. Lazuli was more than happy to reciprocate as much as she could. It was an even effort for a while but quickly Lazuli began losing strength which Peridot would compensate for until eventually Lazuli was lying flat on her back barely breathing. Peridot took this opportunity to stop kissing her and look her in the eyes one last time.

"I love you." She said quietly.

Lazuli was unable to respond with her words. She closed her eyes and gave a warm open mouth smile for a few seconds before her head slumped down and her breathing stopped.

Lapis Lazuli rose suddenly from her hammock and the images in the mirror cut out without warning alarming the green gem and causing her to look towards her blue gem wife.

"Lapis?! Are you okay?"

Lapis took a couple of deep breaths before looking over to Peridot.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Why are you sitting on the floor?" Lapis quickly changed the subject.

"OH! Me? I was simply testing my raw physical potential at completing certain tasks! Tonight was about my ability to remain stationed in front of a reflective surface which is designated to heighten my senses against other peridots on the off chance anymore come to Earth and attempt an interrogation."

Peridot announced with false bravado hoping her wife wouldn't notice.

"You're ridiculous. There's no way another war would ever find us out here."

Peridot sighed internally.

" _I'll ask her about her dream later." Peridot thought_.

"Come on, join me in the hammock. I missed having you here with me.

Peridot stood up.

"That sounds nice."


	4. The New Crystal Gems: Rebooted (Day 4)

**Day Four: Free Day (The New Crystal Gems: Rebooted)**

"Quickly Lapis! Everything must be perfect or when they arrive!"

The green gem shouted from the top floor of the barn as Lapis did little more than sweep the ground floor of the barn with a bored looking expression on her face. There were still piles of junk lying around everywhere but there were a couple new meep-morps decorating the ground floor. One being a singular snowball encased in a standard looking cooler that was rigged with some sort of device that is designed to keep the temperature in the cooler down to freezing to keep the snowball from melting. The second being a highly detailed water color portrait of a dream Lapis had a few night ago. It appears to be Peridot and Lapis but more humanized.

Peridot asked her what the painting was, but Lapis said it was just something she saw and left it at that. It replaced the portrait of Greg's Aunt and Uncle hanging in the back.

"Everything is going to be fine, Peridot. It's just Steven and Connie."

Metal clanging rings through the barn. Lapis looks up to see Peridot dangling from the edge eventually letting go and allowing her butt to hit the floor with a hard 'thud'.

"Lapis! We are not just showing off our home. This exercise is essential to the very fabric of our team! If we are ever to rise to a level equal to that of The Crystal Gems then we need exercises like this to increase our bond with each other- like all of those rituals Steven and the rest of them perform."

Lapis lets go of the broom in her hands and lets it fall to the floor. She then kicks it to a random pile where it blended in seamlessly.

"I don't really see why we need to be at their level. I feel like the level we are at now is just fine."

Lapis crossed her arms.

"I like being a crystal temp, even if I am not entirely sure what that means."

"Lapis."

Peridot clasps her hands together. Her hands forming what look to be prayer hands.

"I just want everybody to know that they can count on us if things ever go wrong. Our last meet up as The Crystal Temps was only a moderate success and although we performed admirably near the end I think we could stand to meet up more and get to know each other."

Peridot starts blushing lightly.

"For team dynamics."

Lapis kneels down to match Peridot's level.

"Is this whole thing just a Peridot-way of saying you want us to hang out with Connie more because you really like it when we spend time together?"

Peridot looks away from Lapis' gaze, her face getting a little darker.

"Of course not! This exercise is purely objective. There's not a single droplet of subjective feeling here."

Lapis rubs the top of Peridot's head.

"You're cute whenever you're trying to hide how you really feel."

Peridot makes a bunch of incoherent noises in response.

"You know how I feel about being called that word!"

Lapis Snorts.

"Yeah. But I'm your wife so I am always one rank higher than you."

"That's paradoxical! By that logic I would also be one rank higher than you."

"Yes, except for one fact."

Peridot eyed her quizzically. Lapis leans in really close to the green gem's face.

"I brought it up first which means it only applies to me."

Peridot screams in frustration but is quickly smothered by Lapis bringing her into a hug against her will. The soft, reaffirming contact causes her to settle down quickly before reciprocating Lapis' hug with a hug of her own.

"I don't know what I am going to do with you, Lazuli."

Peridot's grip tightens.

"By the stars I hope it's everything."

Peridot wasn't able to see but Lapis was starry-eyed and teary-eyed.

"I don't deserve you," Lapis said quietly. "But as long as you're willing to stay with me then I won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

Someone clears their throat causing Peridot and Lapis to key into it immediately.

"Uhhhh, guys. We aren't interrupting anything are we?"

"No Steven. You're fine," Lapis responded to Steven who was side by side with Connie.

"Steven! Now that you are in the company of your three best friends I think it is time that we tune into everybody's favorite televised program," Peridot closes her eyes before reopening them.

"'Camp Pining Hearts!' I'm so excited that we all get to watch it together. This event is unprecedented!"

"You should turn on our wi-fi, Peridot. That way we get all one-hundred-eighty P's." Lapis added mechanically.

Peridot gasps.

"Of course! I'll be right back every one."

Peridot runs outside of the barn and a few short minutes later the sound of a mower fills the country air.

Connie in the meantime pulls out her phone and is sending a message off to Steven.

 _ **Haven't they seen that show all the way through 2 dozen times?-Connie**_

Steven's phone buzzed.

 _ **Yeah, but that doesn't seem to matter much. Every time they watch it they treat it like it's the first time. I think it's a gem thing because Amethyst is sort of the same way too.**_

Connie's phone buzzed.

 _ **It's nice to see them so passionate about something- aside from trying to kill you!**_

Steven checks Connie's next message and nods with a big Steven smile.

So in one quick motion Lapis picked up both Peridot and Connie and blasted the trio up to the second floor of the barn while Steven followed up with one fluid jump. Lapis set the pair down and Peridot ran excited in front of the group and threw her arms out to present the viewing area.

"Ta-da!" The green gem shouted.

It wasn't anything spectacular. It was the T.V. stationed in front of a large square of blankets and pillows and right behind that was the couch that was normally there. Steven and Connie giggled at the display before positioning themselves on the blanketed area. Peridot jumped on to the couch with a little bounce. Peridot politely patted the spot next to her. Lapis gave a sly smile before sauntering over to her designated spot and sitting down gracefully. A head almost immediately plopped down on the blue gem's lap. A mound of yellow hair was threatening her field of vision, but Lapis quickly lopped herself on top of it like a student on a school desk and all was right with the world as the four sat down to enjoy their mutually enjoyed Canadian soap opera.

All was silent for at least an hour as the four friends watched with varying levels of enthusiasm. Connie began squinting at the T.V., looking at it sternly which eventually caught Steven's attention.

"Hey Whatcha looking it."

The infamous Percy/Paulette kissing scene was playing and Connie just kept getting closer and closer to the screen.

"Steven, have you ever noticed that the patterns on Paulette's scarf look an awful lot like Lapis' gem?"

The attention of the two gems in the background was immediately taken away from the T.V. and right on Connie. Peridot shot up from Lapis' lap.

"What are you attempting to infer, Connie?"

"I just mean it's pretty weird. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, but its something neat to notice, y-know?" Connie placated.

"Hey! That is pretty cool," Steven added. "And hey, Percy's hat even has yellow diamonds all over it like Peridot's clothes do."

"Yeah they do!"

Peridot gasped in shock.

"Steven. Are you even daring to compare me to that reject of camp hierarchy, Percy?"

"Peridot, calm down. It's just an observation. It's like Connie said- it doesn't matter!"

Connie then stepped in front of Steven.

"Yeah! No one I comparing you to Percy!"

Connie's enthusiasm petered out quickly.

"Then again Percy and Paulette do date for a while on the show, and you two are married. And since Paulette has the scarf with Lapis' gem and Percy has the diamonds and that pendant. Paulette is blue team and Percy is yellow team," Connie pauses.

"You guys are basically…Percy…and Paulette," Connie finished with uncertainty.

Lapis' gaze shifted from her usual casual boredom to stern and serious while Peridot stepped off the couch, fiery and passionate.

"I have been betrayed by a member of my own team. Why would you hurt a member of your own team, Connie?"

Sweat ran down Connie's forehead and her heartbeat started racing a little and she backed away from the green gem.

"I-I-I didn't mea-," Steven cut Connie off by stepping in front of her.

"Guys. I don't know why you are taking this so to heart but you need to stop making Connie feel bad. All she did was point something out she noticed.

"I would shatter before I let myself be compared to _Percy_."

Peridot added an extra bit of inflection on 'Percy'. The word came out like venom.

"The way I see it there's only one way to settle this," Lapis finally chimes in.

"We should do a tag team fight. Peridot and I versus Connie and yourself. If we win Connie admits she was wrong. If you guys win Peridot will admit she overreacted."

Peridot's gaze was unbroken by Lapis' statement. Steven looked back at Connie who looked unsure then to the married couple.

"Fine. Let's do it."

Steven's normal level of patience had been tested over the past couple of weeks. Even so, if this had just been about him he wouldn't be so testy, but they were attacking Connie.

His Connie.

"Go get your sword! We shall meet in the cornfields for our duel," Peridot exclaimed.

Steven and Connie take the ladder down from the left and exit through the barn curtains.

"Peridot, are you sure about this?"

"Everything is going according to plan."

Peridot gives Lapis a big, goofy smile. Lapis is a rare event meets it with her own big grin.

The two duos meet right in the cornfields on the outskirts of the barn. Connie and Steven looking serious and focused on one side of the encounter with an aloof Lapis and smug Peridot on the other.

"I will give you one last opportunity to admit your wrongdoing by comparing me to that clod Percy, Connie."

Peridot shouts this across the field. No real malice in her voice.

"I'm sorry Peridot, we can't do that," Steven declares back at her.

Steven emphasizes his point by summoning his shield. Connie barrels next to him and brandishes the Rose Quartz sword. Peridot keeps her hands behind her back and Lapis holds hers together behind her hand; both gems are calm, cool, and collected.

Peridot suddenly whips her hand from behind her back and tosses it forward! A couple of cans appear of the nearby corn fields and hurtle towards Steven and Connie at very manageable speeds. With two quick 'dinks' the cans trajectories are halted and Steven dashes forward ever so slightly before stopping and holding his shield atop his head. Connie vaults off of his shield with a practiced precision and leaps into the air. She comes out of her arc with the flat edge of her sword readying to deliver a decisive blow onto Peridot. Connie is stopped long before she makes her mark by a massive water hand pouring out of one of the nearby house scattered throughout the fields. Lapis' hand cupped slightly like the hand grabbing Connie.

A hard splash is heard and the water hand grappling Connie dissipates in an instant letting the young girl fall. Steven does a massive jump and catches Connie right before extending one of his hands and summoning another shield after he threw his in order to deflect more cans being tossed in by Peridot.

Or maybe they were the same cans?

The pair made of a soft landing on to the ground only to notice there was a massive wall of tiny water fists positioned right in front of the blue and green gems. With a coy smile Lapis sent the water fists flying towards Steven and Connie. Instinctually, Steven put up his bubble shield which withheld the water fists with dozens of small, cracking noises as they landed. The bubble shield was holding up strong thus far.

"Steven, I don't know if we can beat them. The crystal gems, your dad, you, Lion, and I were barely able to taken on Lapis by herself when she took the ocean."

Connie then gestures to the pair.

"And now she has Peridot!"

There was a pause.

"Even though she's only been throwing cans so far."

"Connie, it's okay. That fight was different because Lapis was trying to kill us. She's obviously holding back right now because even she knows that Peridot is a little out of line, but they're married and I imagine that idea must be weird to deal with when you're a gem."

Steven's bubble starts cracking a bit from the strain.

"I can't holding this bubble shield much longer but if I am right then we should be able to end this quickly if we fuse."

Steven grabs Connie's shoulders.

"Are you okay to do that right now?"

"Of course."

Peridot reaches up and grabs Lapis' shoulder.

"This should be over soon. You ready to finish this?"

Lapis looks down at her hopeful wife with a staggeringly emotionless face.

"Yeah."

The pink bubble suddenly bursts with a massive light and the gentle rhythm of the water fists hit the bubble is replaced with a much harder noise of the water fists hit something a little more solid. When the light fades we see a tall, statuesque being holding their own moving forward slowly with a sword and shield in hand. Steven and Connie had become their fusion Stevonnie.

Peridot noticeably gulps.

"Alright, I didn't want to have to do this."

Peridot pulls out a controller and quickly starts moving around the joysticks which cause a homemade drone to appear from beyond the fields. The sleek green orb starts flanking behind Stevonnie.

"Gotcha," Peridot screams.

The green orb starts shooting small energy busts with a bunch of Satisfying pews. A couple of these blasts manage to hit Stevonnie, but quickly alerting them to the drone's presence. With a graceful swipe of their shield, Stevonnie was able to send a mess of water fists flying outwards. Most of these just flew off nowhere but a select few manage to hit the drone in rapid succession leading to its untimely demise. Stevonnie then hastily made up the difference between her and Lapis with a dash putting them right in front of Lapis' face.

Lapis' eyes widened at the sight of this up until she was bashed by Stevonnie's summoned shield into her green gem wife sending them both collapsing on the ground. Stevonnie pointed their sword at the gems in question before bring back into the sword's scabbard and quickly defuse into a smug Steven and Confident Connie.

"Looks like someone's feeling a little watered down after this fight," Steven quipped.

"And her partner just didn't have the metal to match us," Connie added on.

Steven and Connie looked at each other seriously before immediately bursting into laughter. Each child offered a hand down to the gems. They were only stunted by the two gems also roaring with laughter.

"Hey, what's going on you guys?"

Steven's query seemed like it would go unanswered until Lapis finally settled down.

"Peridot, care to explain."

"Gladly, Lapis."

Peridot stands up and dusts herself off. She clears her throat and then begins to speak.

"Today was designed as a bonding a building day for the crystal temps. We were going to grow closer as a team, but Lapis and I came upon a dilemma. One of us had to be the leader of the team! So we debated heavily over who should really be the leader especially since we never really settled that matter after our first instance as the crystal temps."

"Peridot volunteered herself a first, but I convinced her she can't be the leader of both the crystal gems and the crystal temps."

Lapis winks towards the kids.

"Yes, taking this into consideration we had three more members. Lapis who said-"

"No," Lapis finished.

"Pumpkin. Who is adorable, but adorable goes so far when leading a team."

"And then you Connie," Lapis added at the end.

"It made sense to put you as our leader after Lapis refused because of how well you handled the end of our last adventure, but I, Peridot, was worried about your convictions in the face of adversity."

Steven and Connie looked at each other.

"So, we were aiming to use your heightened perception against you by having you watch 'Camp Pining Hearts' with us."

"We knew you would noticed stuff we already noticed, but we were going to pretend to be mad at you to see how you would react," Lapis Summarized.

"YES! If you stood your ground, then we knew you would be the perfect person to lead the Crystal Temps!"

Peridot's enthusiasm roared through the cornfields.

"The fight was just for fun. We didn't know if you would go for it."

"Indeed. Either way you passed this challenge so now Connie,"

Peridot clears her throat.

"Would you please be the official leader of The Crystal Temps?"

Connie was starstruck.

"You guys. I don't know what to say except,"

Connie salutes with a traditional military salute.

"I won't let you guys down. I promise to be the most effective leader whenever possible."

Lapis and Peridot don't say anything but instead Peridot goes in and gives Connie a hug and then invites a reluctant Lapis to do the same.

"C'mon Lapis. I think we all earned a good hug."

Lapis looks down to her right to Steven looking up at her. With a firm nod, Steven and Lapis join in on the now group hug.

The four walk back through the cornfields towards the barn with the sun finally dipping below the horizon.


	5. Home (Day 5: Part 1)

_Hey, Everybody! So this next chapter is going to be a little word because it will be a two-parter! I wanted to do it this way because there is a huge tone shift in the chapter and it felt weird to keep it all together in one. Plus now chapter five will be in two very manageable chapters instead of one long mess- although I doubt that bothers anyone._

-Thanks for understanding, PartyGod Douglas

* * *

 **Day 5: Part 1**

 **Home/Family**

A couple of days have passed since Peridot and Lapis had Steven and Connie over. The barn life had quieted down back to its idyllic pattern of farming, creating meep-morps, playing with Pumpkin and both of Peridot and Lapis' individual interests. The green gem to this blue-green duo was keeping herself hard at work in the barn repairing the drone that had been destroyed while she was dueling Steven and Connie. Lapis was lying in her favorite lawn chair out in the middle of the cornfields napping the day away. Her face which is usually peaceful while she is sleeping is looking strained.

"Why can't I shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen?"

Lapis said this to no one in particular. The closest being to her was her wife and she was too far away and far too busy to have even attempted hearing Lapis' question. Lapis turned over onto her side and stared at a leaky garden hose for a good few moments before bring out her right hand from underneath her and twirling her fingers in the air.

From the leaky garden hose, Lapis made mini water duplicates of all of the crystal gems, Connie, and of course Peridot. She then casually relaxed and watched as all of the water duplicates interacted. Tiny-Amethyst was giving Tiny-Pearl a noogie. Tiny-Steven was excitedly trying to tell Tiny-Garnet something. It was hard to tell if Tiny-Garnet was interested or if she cared because she was equally as enigmatic as the person she was based on. Tiny-Pumpkin was running around Tiny-Peridot excitedly yipping all the way around. Tiny Lapis was all by herself a good couple of feet away from anyone else her size, much closer to regular Lapis than anything.

Lapis looked down at her tiny water counterpart.

"I understand that, Water-Lapis."

Tiny-Lapis looks up. Her eyes empty and soulless like the rest of the water duplicates, but her features unmoved and stoic compared to everyone else. Lapis looks over to the rest of the water duplicates. Tiny-Garnet has picked up both Tiny-Amethyst and Tiny-Pearl and Tiny-Steven has joined Tiny-Peridot and Tiny-Pumpkin. Tiny-Peridot was distracted from the other two tiny duplicates around her and was heavily focused on Tiny-Lapis just across the way.

Tiny-Peridot turns to Tiny-Pumpkin and Tiny-Steven and says something quickly before making her way towards the tiny version of her wife. The minuscule journey would be over in mere moments for anything else but for the tiny duplicates, the journey was reminiscent of a short walk around the block. Lapis' focus intensified on the tiny version of Peridot as she got nearer and nearer to her own tiny replica.

Closer.

Closer.

Tiny-Peridot reaches out to touch Tiny-Lapis on the shoulder, but Lapis' concentration broke when she heard a familiar whirrrrr in the air. Lapis looked up and she saw what looked to be a homeworld vessel, at least from what she could tell from her brief stint being back to her original home. Lapis' chest tightened up and her breathing became shallow and quick in almost a second.

" _What are they doing back here? They can't be back here. They have no reason to come back here."_

Lapis' thoughts started racing. She couldn't stop hyperventilating. She didn't need to breathe then why was she breathing so much? Her head started to hurt. She's a gem. Why is her heading hurting? Why can't she stop breathing? Lapis closes her eyes to try and focus but nothing is slowing down. Her eyes break open and they are mirrored over. She can't stop it. The only thing she is able to see is getting poofed and getting left behind.

Getting poofed and getting left behind.

Getting poofed and getting left behind.

Getting poofed and getting left behind.

Getting poofed and getting left behind.

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this."

Water starts floating all around Lapis, enveloping her in a sphere. Her subconscious mind building a barrier around her. The sphere suddenly freezes over and the image is clear as can be. Lapis can't see anything through the ice fear except for getting poofed and getting left behind.

Getting poofed and getting left behind.

Getting poofed and getting left behind.

Getting poofed and getting left behind.

Over and over. Non-stop.

Lapis reaches her limit. She passes out. The images in the ice sphere stop.

She isn't dreaming anymore.

There is a shadow outside of the ice sphere and a light pounding.

Peridot on the outside is pounding on the ice sphere and is making no progress.

"Lapis! Lapis! What's going on?"

Peridot had been pounding on the sphere for about five minutes calling out to Lapis but with no luck.

"Clodding, cloddy ice!"

Peridot screamed in frustration. She balled herself up.

" _What should I do?"_

It only took a few quick moment of panicked thinking before Peridot shot up with an idea.

The Green gem took off back towards the barn.

She returned about ten minutes later. Floating all around her very various tools. A pickaxe, three shovels, two hoes, and what appears to be a decorative sword. Peridot stood about three feet away from the melting ice orb and with her metal powers, she began surrounding the ice orb from all sides with her various assortments of tools. Once she had the ice orb adequately surrounded she took a deep breath and concentrated.

"Let's get you out of there, Lappy."

Peridot performs the full range of motion with her fingers and the various tools react by slamming themselves against the ice with varying degrees of success. The pickaxe was doing the best easily followed by the shovels, then surprisingly the sword and lastly the hoes.

Peridot's fingers kept going through the full range of motion, chipping away the Ice orb slowly. More and more chunks of ice started falling off and Peridot's concentration and dexterity were waning.

How thick was this ice orb? Why did Lapis make it this thick?

In a brief moment of serendipity, a solid hole was finally dug through the ice and Lapis was finally visible. Peridot took notice of this weak point and brought all of the tools around to this single spot. Peridot took in a deep breath to steady herself. She now moved her fingers in a more robotic, one-after-another pattern as compared to her previously fluid motions.

Several minutes later and a sizeable hole finally opened up in the ice. Peridot let her concentration go and let the various tools fall to the ground. She quickly recovered and climbed her way up into the hole that was several inches off the ground eventually face-planting a mere couple of feet away from Lapis' unconscious body.

Peridot runs over to Lapis.

"Lapis. Lapis, wake up!"

Peridot shouted at Lapis but she didn't react at all.

"Guess, I'll have to get her back to the barn myself someone," Peridot said looking through the hole in the ice.

Peridot sighed.

Lapis snaps up awake in a panic. She twists her head around erratically taking in her surroundings. She sees that she is back in the barn, but more specifically that she is back in her hammock the unofficial-official bed of the barn. Peridot was sitting nearby in a lawn chair.

"Lapis!"

Peridot jumped out of her lawn chair and scuttled over to the hammock to check on her wife.

"Lapis, are you okay?"

Lapis looked at Peridot and her sincere, genuine emotion. She went to say something but pulled it back at the last second.

"I was just having one of my really bad days."

Peridot could sense Lapis was hiding something. Lapis can be a pretty convincing liar in the right frame of mind and mood especially since she usually remains stoic or indifferent a good portion of the time. She has not been able to lie to Peridot though, even back when she told her to leave and never come back she was honest with Peridot and how she felt.

Thinking about those days upset Peridot if she dwelled on them too long.

"I could tell. What happened? What caused it?"

Peridot was quick on the recoil and this was something Lapis was not prepared for.

" _She's serious," Lapis thought._

"I was just lying in my lawn chair outside and trying to nap in the sun."

" _I can't tell her what I really saw. That will set her off! She'll either panic herself to death or get herself gem-deep in a situation she won't be able to get out of."_

Lapis held her eyes shut tight at the thought.

" _Something I can't save her from. I have to lie to her. Just a little bit."_

Lapis looked Peridot straight in the eyes, catching the green gem's focus.

" _I'm sure Steven will handle whatever that ship is here for," Lapis finished thinking and began to talk._

"I made little water duplicates of everybody while I was trying to relax. Just for fun. Something happened though and my little-Lapis started acting crazy and attacking everybody."

Peridot's glare cracked and her concern started pouring through.

"Then I began to question whether or not I can truly become good. After homeworld, after being abandoned, and after Jasper."

Lapis sighed then pulled her arms over her chest defensively.

"I guess my guilt took over. It surrounded me in ice to that no matter what all I could see was my pain."

Peridot lifts her visor and rubs tears from her eyes.

"I guess I must have passed out," Lapis finished.

Lapis wasn't proud of the lie she told. It isn't technically a lie because she struggles with these kinds of thoughts often.

It just isn't what set her off this time around.

Peridot was at a loss for words. When she finds herself unable to speak Peridot instinctually pulls Lapis in for a hug. It's a way of saying everything Peridot should and needed to say with a single action.

The most effective way route to comfort.

Lapis is unable to reciprocate Peridot's action this time around. The guilt she felt in her stomach by lying to Peridot so blatantly was unbearable.


	6. Family (Day 5-Part 2)

A few days passed since Lapis' incident and much like before everything was seemingly normal. Lapis feeling this dread from a mile away along with the dread of lying to her wife decided to nap in the barn all day today.

And yesterday.

And the day before that.

Peridot wasn't worried initially but her concern grew over time. Peridot was debating on trying to talk with Lapis again but this idea was quickly squashed by the sound of her tablet ringing with a classic phone sound. Looking over at her wife who hadn't moved from that position in two days, Peridot decided that she'd give the blue gem a few more minutes to herself and answer her tablet.

Peridot picks her tablet up and sees that Steven is trying to contact her. She slides the green button to the right to accept the video call and after a few seconds of attempted connection The screen fills up with the visage of a panicked Connie on the other end.

"PERIDOT! Peridot, are you and Lapis home?"

Peridot was startled by the sudden barrage and took a moment to stammer out a response.

"Y-yes. Of course."

Peridot looked Connie over. Obviously she was panicked, but more poignantly she was wet. Completely soaked actually.

"Connie, why are you wet?"

"That isn't important right now. I just need you guys to stay where you are. I'll be there in ten minutes once I find The Gem's warp whistle and I'll explain everything. Connie out."

Connie ended the video chat.

Peridot was really hoping for good news.

Ten minutes have passed since Connie's surprise video chat. Peridot was sitting on the ground and Pumpkin was nuzzled in Peridot's lap. Lapis was still lying in their hammock silent and unmoving as ever. The faint noise of rustling came from outside and was immediately picked up on by Pumpkin who ran out of the barn barking. Peridot elected to not follow her lovely dog and instead continue sitting down and waiting for whatever Connie had to say. Moments later Connie rushed past the tarped entrance of the barn with sweat dripping off all parts of her body, her sword on her back, and the warp whistle in her left hand.

"Peridot! Lapis! Steven has been taken to space by a couple of homeworld gems!"

"What?!"

Peridot stood up immediately and ran to Connie. Lapis didn't get up from her hammock but for the first time in nearly two days she finally rolled on her other side facing the green gem and the human girl.

"What gems took him? Do you know," Peridot asked.

"It was an Aquamarine and a Topaz fusion. That's all I know."

Peridot's face sank, and along with it her heart.

"An Aquamarine and a Topaz FUSION. You're sure?"

Connie nodded.

"Those are the personal favorites of Blue and Yellow Diamond respectively. They only get sent out when the Diamonds themselves want something personal done. They're the best of each Diamond's authority. Alone either would be a formidable opponent but together they'd be nearly unstoppable," Peridot exposited this to Connie. Finally Lapis pipes up.

"why were they here?"

"They were collecting humans for some reason. I was trapped inside of Topaz for most of it so it was hard to hear sometimes."

Lapis' expression fell lower than it already was. Guilt twisting up inside of her.

"They wanted them for the human zoo," Lapis barely mumbled.

Connie nodded furiously.

"I assumed as much after a while. It was terrible you guys. That Aquamarine too powerful. She stopped Alexandrite, a bunch of other humans, and me dead in our tracks without even trying."

Peridot started pacing erratically.

"They are designed specifically for capturing targets."

"And the worst part is Steven wasn't even really captured against his will. He gave himself up!"

Connie saying this stopped Peridot dead in her tracks and finally caused Lapis to sit up in the Hammock. Peridot began to shout.

"Oh my stars, why would he do that?!"

Connie starts tearing up.

"I don't know. He just kept talking about stopping what his mother started and he just walked into the ship without a second thought."

Connie rubs the tears out of her eyes.

"Then their ship was gone moments later."

Peridot's erratic pacing eventually broke when she broke into a spazzing, screaming frenzy. Being put face to face with an impossible quandary.

"Connie."

Connie's focus raced towards Peridot whose voice was barely audible. A unique scenario for the green gem in question.

"I know that this is hard to hear, but I don't think there's any way for us to get Steven back."

Lapis keyed in on her tiny wife. Her blue eyes sullen and sunk in.

"No. Nonononono! There's got to be a way. There's always a way!

Connie looked around at the junk in the barn franticly but her gaze eventually settled on Lapis barely sitting up in her hammock.

" Lapis flew all the way to Homeworld once, she can do it again," Connie pointed out.

Lapis' eyes shot open. Her mind started racing. She didn't want the attention and focus on her. She won't be able to hold it in if they keep questioning her.

"That's true. I could maybe carry you and Peridot. But you would need to be in a small ship or something and you would need food and all."

Lapis stood up and slunk over to Connie eventually kneeling down to meet the girl eye to eye.

"And I would do that for Steven. I would do that for you."

Lapis broke eye contact with Connie, knowing what she was getting ready to do.

"But all of the other gems would want to come too. Steven is just as important to them as he is to you or to me or even Peridot."

"I disagree," Peridot added.

"And I can't carry a ship big enough to hold all of you fast enough to do anything. By the time we would get there Homeworld would have done whatever they wanted to do."

Connie sinks in on herself. Her expression is empty. All of the hope seemed to be pulled from her body in that instance.

Peridot decides it's her time to intervene.

"However! Steven has been in a multitude of similarly dangerous situations and has come out of each of them without any permanent damage. No permanent physical damage anyway."

Lapis couldn't help but smile when she saw her wife coming in right after her and going in to comfort Connie. The green gem really did care about her friends. Dwelling on this thought for too long made Lapis' stomach twist and turn. Peridot didn't know she was helping Lapis cover up for the fact that this is very well all the blue gem's fault.

"So even though it is not very productive, the best thing that we can do for Steven is believe in him. He'll come back to us before you even know it."

Connie sniffled once really hard, but she looked at Peridot with gleaming, happy eyes before wrapping her arms around the green gem

"Thank you, Peridot."

Peridot quickly reciprocated the action of the human girl in front of her. Lapis turned away from the situation.

" _Well, what's done is done. There's no going back now,"_ Lapis thought.

"Now Connie, is there anything else your team can do for you today since you already came all the way out here," Peridot offered as she broke the hug.

"No. The only other thing going on in my life right now is a Parent-teacher conference at my school. We have to have one every school year. It's just a formality though and my parents are busy tonight."

Connie pulls out her phone which is nearly dead.

"Let me give them a call to see if-"

Connie's phone is ripped out of her hands and lands into Peridot's.

"Connie. There is no need for you to alert your parental units if they are busy. We, as your teammates, will pose as those responsible for your well-being in their stead."

Connie looked uncertain about this plan. Lapis seeing this uncertainty stepped in.

"If you miss your conference then that will cause people to ask questions about why and if you tell certain people why, it might make things harder for you to see us or to see Steven."

Lapis certainly didn't understand why humans were so bent on letting other people control their freedom, but she knew it was something that concerned them. Connie was left there in thought. She took a moment to rub her temples to ease an oncoming headache.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. And I think it would be best if my parents didn't find out about this incident. Fighting monsters with Steven and the other gems is one thing but being kidnapped and alone in space and put in an alien zoo might be more than even they'll allow now."

Peridot held up her hand for a high five which Lapis followed up on.

"Alright! The plan is set," Peridot shouted.

Peridot nudged Connie, then looked at her expectantly.

"Oh! Right. Leader."

Connie clears her throat.

"Crystal Temps! Let's go to school!"

Connie and Peridot shared a laugh, and Lapis had a small smile grace her lips as she summoned her wings and grabbed both Connie and Peridot. Lapis helped Peridot onto her back while she carried Connie in her arms.

"Lead the way, Connie," Lapis said in between wing beats.

"That way!"

Connie pointed a finger in a distinctly northeastern direction from the barn. Lapis followed suit and went as fast as she could carrying two people the way that she was.

 **~twenty minutes later~**

The trio land softly on the grounds of the school. The sun had officially set and it just became night. The school because of this fact felt eerie and creepy, mostly to Connie. Peridot was beaming with excitement and Lapis held a generally bored expression.

"Alright you two, thank you for coming but just let me do all of the talking and everything should go alright?"

"You got it!"

Lapis follows up Peridot's response with a simple nod.

Connie leads the way into the dimly lit halls of the school until she eventually comes to her homeroom class where the teacher is waiting patiently at her desk looking over some papers.

The teacher hears the door click and looks up from her desk.

"Mr and Mrs Mahaesh-" The teacher stop mid-sentence when she sees a blue and green person standing behind and awkwardly smiling Connie.

"Connie, I was expecting your parents to be with you. Who are your…friends?"

Connie took a seat in a student's desk right across from the Teacher's desk. Peridot followed suit and Lapis sat on top of the desk in lieu of the seat.

"My parents couldn't make it tonight, so they sent my…babysitters with me. I know this is a little unorthodox."

"Are you two qualified guardians?"

The teacher eyed the green and blue gem. The two gems looked at each other then looked over to Connie. Connie tried nodding subtly to them both.

"Why yes! There have never been more qualified guardians than Lapis Lazuli and I. Allow us to provide you with a demonstration."

Peridot looks to Lapis.

"Lapis?"

Lapis raises her hand and clenches it into a fist.

 **~a few moments later~**

The double doors to the school burst open and out ran Connie's teacher and Connie soaked to the bone along with a small river of water which rushes past their ankles.

The married gems walk out the same double doors indignantly.

"I believe we have proved ourselves aptly. Now, how's Connie doing in school?"

Peridot flashes an overly large smile as she asks this question.

"She's. She's doing great. Phenomenal even."

The teacher looks down at Connie.

"Connie, are these people aren't hurting you?"

Connie shakes her head.

"Then I'll forgive you for this incident and I won't call your parents about it because they just got me a couple days off and I need it."

The teacher rubs her face.

"The administration has been killing me ever since our school went down a grade."

Connie grabs her teachers hand and shakes it.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Thank YOU, Connie."

The teacher looks back towards Lapis and Peridot.

"And thank you to you two, as well!"

Peridot wraps around Lapis' waist.

"It was all the work of my beautiful blue wife."

Lapis' arms were pinned to her sides by Peridot but she looked away smiling.

"It was nothing."

A portal opens up mere feet away from the group and out through it comes a pink lion. Which surprises nobody but the teacher.

"Lion!"

Connie runs over to the big pink cat.

"What are you doing here?"

Lion snorts in response and kneels down. He whips his head back implying he wants Connie to get on.

"Oh, okay! Yeah sure. I needed to go back to beach city anyway so this works."

Connie climbs atop Lion.

"Thank you Peridot and Lapis. This was a nice distraction from everything. I'll see you all later!"

Lion roars and forms another portal, quickly jumping inside before the portal dissipates.

"Well Lapis, our work here is done. So let's make out way back home."

"Sounds good."

Lapis picks up her wife bridal style and forms her water wings before gallantly flying off to the sky.

The teacher watches as Peridot and Lapis fade from view before looking down to where Connie left on Lion.

"Are all my student's lives this complicated?"

 **~back at the barn~**

"It was really nice to be able to help Connie like that."

Peridot said as she grabbed a set of pillows and a blanket from the bottom floor and took it to the top. Lapis was sitting in one of the various lawn chairs they have strewn around the two floors of the barn.

"I was thinking we could sleep in the truck tonight? Might make for a nice change of pace."

Lapis didn't respond.

"What do you think, Lapis?"

"Yeah. That sounds nice."

Peridot beams before walking off.

"Peridot. Can I just want to say-"

A spoon appears in front of Lapis' face. A moment later it's on her nose.

"Save it for the truck, Lazuli," Peridot says while winking.

The two gems make it to the truck bed and start strewing out the blanket and pillows. Once everything is set the two gems lay down and Lapis lays on her side away from Peridot and Peridot takes this opportunity to reach an arm around Lapis' waist and scooch in closer body to body with her wife.

"Peridot. I think I did something really bad…again. And I don't know if you or anyone can forgive me this time."

Peridot pulls Lapis in as tight as her tiny arms can manage. Lapis' body resists, remaining as stiff as she can to the tiny gems physical affection. Noticing this only made the green gem pull in just a little bit harder.

"Lapis, there's nothing that you could ever do to ever make me stop loving you. There's nothing you could do to make the rest of the gems or Connie or Steven to stop caring about you. There's nothing in this galaxy or the next that would make us abandon you. I'm sure if Steven were here he would say the same thing."

Peridot laughs.

"That's kind of where I got the idea to say all this from."

Lapis turned around to meet Peridot face to face.

"Peridot, you don't understand."

Peridot was getting ready to retort when a dim pink light beamed from below breaking the tension and the attention of the two gems. Peridot and Lapis got out of their comfy position in the truck to peak down. They saw Connie with the Rose Quartz sword and a duffle bag hoisted over her shoulder riding on top of Lion. Lion knelt down letting Connie off before he created another portal and hopped on through it.

"Lapis! Peridot! Are you guys home?"

Peridot jumped atop the truck, losing her footing and eventually falling face first onto the ground below right in front of Connie. Connie ran up to check on her just as Lapis flew down to do the same.

"Peridot, are you okay," The blue gem and human asked in sync.

Peridot delivered a thumbs up in response.

"What brings you here, Connie?"

Connie looked up from Peridot to Lapis.

"Well…"

Connie looked off into the distance.

"Steven just got back from Homeworld."

Peridot shot straight up.

"OH MY STARS. IS HE OKAY?"

"Yes, he's fine. And I was really happy to see him back but at the same time. I was kind of angry at him."

Connie crossed her arms.

"I kind of hated him if I am being honest."

"But- why?"

The green gem's question rang out, hitting Connie hard.

"BECAUSE HE JUST GAVE UP ON US. HE GAVE UP ON ME!"

Connie took a deep breath to keep on going.

"He took all of that training and faith he put into our abilities and threw it away. He left without even thinking once about how he was hurting me and everyone else he loved. He was only thinking about himself and his own guilt. If he would have just kept fighting then we could have found a solution but he just gave up on all of us."

Peridot and Lapis looked on in shock at Connie.

"I didn't have time to process all of this since he was kidnapped. I was too focused on trying to find a way to get him back, but now that he's back all I want to do is be angry at him. What's worse is that he hurt us…he hurt me, and he doesn't even seem to understand that. Steven, the guy who is so in tune with everyone and their problems isn't able to see that what he did was stupid, and reckless, and that it HURT."

"Did you want us to go talk to him," Lapis offered.

"No, but I told my parents I would be over at Steven's for the night but I can't be around him right now. So I was wondering, can I spend the night here with you guys? I figured it would be nice."

"Of course you can! No member of the Crystal Temps is ever without a home as long as we have this barn. Our home is your home, Connie. Not literally, but we're willing to share it with you."

Connie embraces Peridot for the second time today.

"Lapis, you need to join this too."

Lapis decided not to ignore the human girl's request and kneel down to fully immerse herself in the hug.

"Lapis and I are a family, Connie. And as long as we're a family then you too are a member of this family. And as family we do anything for each other."

Lapis listened to the words her wife told Connie and started crying.

She can't believe how lucky she is to have this green gem as her family.

She can't believe how lucky she is to have a family in the first place.


	7. The Past Reflecting The Future (Day 6)

**Day six: Historical AU**

Lapis and Peridot mad sure that Connie was comfortable and collected downstairs in the hammock of the barn. Assuring her team members and friends multiple times over that she was fine and that they didn't need to worry about her. She thanked them before climbing into the hammock and getting comfortable. Lion circle a spot for a few moments before deciding to buckle down and do the thing he is best at: sleep.

Lapis sees Connie and Peridot off without a word as she spreads her wings and flies up into the loft of the barn.

"She left in a hurry. What's going on with her?"

The sleepy teenager asks the green gem left standing on the ground floor of the barn.

"Lapis has some bad days sometimes. It's been like this all week."

Peridot reaffirms her stance, cocking her arms against her hips standing in a traditional superhero pose.

"I will do everything in my power to keep her happy."

"You do so much for her, Peridot. It is really admirable."

"Such worthy praise befalling such a worthy gem is not the least bit surprising. I will see you later, Connie."

"Goodnight, Peridot." Connie says as she turns over onto her side in the hammock no longer looking at the green gem. The green gem in question waivers a bit and her expression becomes more sullen; her eyes sinking and head looking downward. Peridot looks up to the loft where Lapis flew to then walked towards the ladder that leads up there.

She didn't feel like trying to fly up there this time.

She reaches the loft and Lapis is resting on the couch, face towards the backrest of the sitting device with her teardrop gem facing outwards. Peridot skulked over to the blue gem.

"Lapis?"

Her voice quietly rang out but receiving no response in return. The Green gem slumped down and leaned her back against the couch staring up at the ceiling.

"Steven, I surely hope you make it back from Homeworld uninjured because I don't think Lapis can handle any more of this crazy stuff."

Peridot's face slumps down to her knees.

"I don't think I can handle any more of this crazy stuff."

The Green Gem stays like that for a while. Unmoving. Peridot sat there for an indecipherable amount of time.

"Srhhhhhhhhnk."

Peridot is stirred by a loud but familiar noise of the blue gem's snoring. Meaning Lapis is definitely fully asleep. A blue light starts projecting out with a Peridot shaped shadow in front of it. Following the brilliant blue glow, Peridot starts hearing noise from downstairs and on the same mirror as before there appear to be images and sounds coming from it.

"Looks like Lapis is dreaming again."

Peridot looks back at her blue wife.

"I wonder what about this time?"

Peridot gets up slowly and creeps over the loft ladder, descending it swiftly and immediately taking residence in front of the mirror to watch what is happening. The mirror shows Lapis Lazuli dressed in clothes dating to the American Revolution. She appears to be standing powerfully aboard a ship that is currently burning to cinders as it is making its way into port.

Connie rolls over and her eyes open lazily being exposed to the intense blue light. Being emitted from the mirror.

"Wazgoinonnpridot?"

Peridot turned around to see Connie rubbing her eyes and sounding off with a powerful yawn.

"Oh, when Lapis dreams it turns out that her gem projects the dreams onto to any mirrored surfaces in the near vicinity. My gem does something similar, but instead it simply projects the images directly from my brilliant gem."

"Oh. Okay."

Connie yawns but continues to talk

"Washedreemingaboutnyway?"

Peridot took a moment or two to process what she said."

"What?"

"What is she dreaming about?"

"Oh. I'm not sure. She's wearing some really strange clothes though. Everyone is."

Connie slips out of the Hammock and sidles next to the green gem, curious more than anything to find out what the blue gem was dreaming about. The two sat side by side and let the dream play out on the mirror in front of them.

Revolution Lapis began to…sing? Sing. As she approached a familiar looking Jasper also dressed in revolutionary clothes.

"Pardon me, are you Jasper Burr, sir?"

Jasper Burr, allegedly turns around and stares down at the differently dressed blue gem.

"That depends, who's asking?"

Jasper's singing voice had a lot to be desired. Probably a personal touched included by Lapis' subconscious, Peridot thought.

"Oh sure, sir. My name is Alexander Lazulton, I'm at your service, sir. I have been- looking for you-"

"I'm getting nervous-"

"SIR!"

It continued on like that for another minute or two. Peridot was thoroughly confused.

"What is evening happening here?"  
Connie was beaming.

"Lapis is dreaming about the musical 'Hamilton'!"

Peridot eyed the human girl incredulously.

"It's a musical about the founding father Alexander Hamilton. He was the first secretary of treasury for this country. Basically he handled currency and money. Lapis must have picked up on the musical at some point. Or read about it."

"So why is she dreaming about this…'Hamilton'?

Connie puts her hand to her chin.

"I don't know. Maybe the musical is somewhat related to some problem she's currently having. You did say she was feeling a bit down lately. Maybe her mind is trying to process it through this."

Peridot twists her face in the shape of 'you're joking me right?', and Connie throws her hands up.

"Humans use weird things to cope, and that's not even taking into account gems. So who knows the connection she is seeing. We'll just have to keep watching.

-.

"Humans use weird things to cope, and that's not even taking into account gems. So who knows the connection she is seeing. We'll just have to keep watching.

Three more characters are introduced in Lapis' dream. Marquis de Amethyst, Hercules Garnetigun, and last but not least Peridot Laurens.

"There I am! Who is that Connie?"

"Well, my best guess is that youre John Laurens. He and Alexander Hamilton were very close, allegedly VERY close.

"Close? Close in what way!"

"Well…"

Connie racked her brain in order to describe this to Peridot but for coming to a simple conclusion.

"They liked to try attempting fusion together. A lot."

Peridot knowing humans can't fuse as gems traditionally can, nodded, understanding the sentiment Connie was trying to imply with her careful wording.

The new trio introduced themselves to Alexander Lazulton, much to Jasper Burr's dismay. Eventually Jasper Burr leaves the gang of four to their own devices at the pub they were located at. The pub looked incredibly simple. Wooden chairs and wooden tables in a stone building. Lapis doesn't have much context for this.

The gang of four eventually leaves and the dream jumps to Alexander Lazulton challenging Ruby Lee to a duel.

"Lazulton, you can't challenge Ruby Lee to a duel." Peridot Laurens repsonds.

"I can't let him get away with what he said about General Quartz."

Peridot Laurens grabs Lazulton by the cuff.

"You can't be caught dueling, so I'll do it."

Lazulton looks back at Peridot Laurens.

"Peridot, do not throw away your shot."

The duel takes place not long after, Peridot Laurens easily dispatches of Ruby Lee and sends them to the ground. Jasper Burr at his side calling out for medical attention. General Quartz arrives at the dueling ground. With one quick glance they take it all on, then they look down at Peridot Laurens and Alexander Lazulton with a disappointed gaze.

The next few scenes pass by in a blur. Scenes of Lazulton being sent home, much to Peridot lauren's chagrin. Lazulton at home. Marquis de Amethyst arriving back by ship, well-stocked with supplies for General Quartz and General Quartz beseeching Lazulton to fight alongside with him once again, with on final shot of Peridot Laurens pinned down by Gempire soldiers with a group of off-colors that they banded together.

The last scene to play out was one of Lazulton getting a letter from where Peridot Laurens was stationed. The letter brings sad news telling Lazulton that Peridot was slain by a group of Gempire soldiers who were not yet aware that the gempire surrendered weeks before. Alexander Lazulton was destroyed by the news and became a horrid recluse the rest of their days.

"Well, that's not historically accurate. Even by the musical's standards. I wonder why Lapis' mind changed the ending."

Peridot looked up towards the loft where Lapis slept. The grren gem was just trying to imagine the pained expression on her face after 'losing Peridot'. Lapis was afraid of losing Peridot is what Peridot got from her dream. Peridot knew what she had to do. She had to let Lapis know when the time was right that she wasn't going anywhere, and that whatever happens they will get through it together.

Peridot assured herself that she will do anything to keep Lapis safe and happy. She doesn't want to lose Lapis any more than Lapis wants to lose her. But hopefully, no one has to lose anyway- war or not.

Peridot smiled.

"Tomorrow should be a good day."


	8. Fight or Flight (Day 7- flight)

_**Day Seven (Flight): Fight or Flight**_

 _ **Hey everybody thanks for joining me once again on a Lapidot week centric adventure. There were some weird gaps in between making chapter for this week's premises and there are a lot of reasons for that but one of the biggest was how constricted the week's premises are when try to keep with multiple stories worth of continuities. So it pleases me to say the next chapter of this saga will be stepping away from that framework of writing and be entirely freehanded. That will allow for more creative freedom and give more consistent work because TIOH was not as good as its predecessor in some part *coughcough day six and day five part 2* and I am sorry for that. Good news, more creative freedom and quality. Bad news the next story will be just as inconsistently updated because of the life stuff and plotting it out proper. In the meantime, enjoy the final chapter of this story and I will see you later party people!**_

~A few days later~

A few days had passed since Connie first started spending time at the barn. She had been telling her parents that she was staying with Steven because she knew they would never double-check that and she knew she didn't have to explain to them about Steven getting kidnapped.

At least now ALL the details.

Connie was now sitting up in her hammock bed, staring at her phone wondering what to do. Lapis, feeling a little bit better after everything was said and done approached the teen girl in question.

"What are you looking at, Connie?" Lapis asked, a simple curiosity in her gaze.

Connie turned her attention away from her blank screen to answer Lapis' question with a very helpful 'I don't know' couple with a furrowed brow and an overall stressed out face.

"Why don't you know?"

"I just don't, Lapis! I really, really want to talk to Steven and I want to send him a message saying I don't want to talk to you right now, but I don't know!"

"I even tried stopping by his house yesterday but there was a sign that said 'Gon' Vacationing'"

Lapis puts a helpful hand on the child's shoulder.

"Why would you tell him you don't want to talk to him right now? Isn't that talking to him?"

The genuine amount of question in Lapis' voice made Connie double take between her phone and Lapis. A small 'o' formed with her lips and she hit her forehead with a small thump with her open palm.

"That makes so much sense. Why text him anything if I don't want to talk to him right now."

Lapis gives a small smile, but with one of her eyebrows crooked a little higher than the other.

"Okay. Sounds good."

Lapis suddenly has arms wrapped around her. A momentary moment of Panic seizes her, but her fast thoughts are put the rest just seeing Connie embrace her.

She's a little quicker than Lapis remembers.

"I want to thank you guys for doing this. For letting me stay here."

Connie finished hugging Lapis and looks at her with tear-stained eyes.

"It's good to know that no matter what I and Steven and really all of the crystal gems can depend on you guys."

Lapis gives off a weak laugh.

"We are earthlings now, I guess. That's what earthlings do."

"Is Peridot okay?"

Connie question was about to be answered by Lapis but a shrill voice rang throughout the barn.

"Peridot is doing the most okay and she thanks you for taking the time to recognize her."

Peridot is now standing at the edge of the loft overlooking Lapis and Connie. An awkward angle considering how close the hammock is to what is considered the edge of the loft.

"Peridot, I need you to come down. I'm getting ready to leave!"

With barely a second to make the decision, Peridot starts climbing over the edge of the loft.

"Catch me, Lapis!"

Peridot's form now completely over the edge and in a small freefall to the floor of the barn. A blue light illuminates from Lapis and she quickly beats her water wings and rises up to meet Peridot.

"You need to be more careful."

"You catch me every time, though." Peridot's loving eyes staring up at the blue gem who is carrying her bridal style.

They hear barking coming from up in the loft. Everyone looks up to see Pumpkin wagging her vine tail happily doing her best to climb over the loft like her green momma. Through sheer Pumpkin-based determination she makes it over the top and jumps off. Everyone was seized with panic for a moment but Pumpkin's jump landed her right into Peridot's arms. She licks her green momma who is stunned by what just happen.

Everyone is quiet for a moment, but that moment quickly passes.

They share a laugh. A rare circumstance for the past week or so, but it was a welcome sensation that felt like meeting an old friend again after not seeing them for years.

Lapis lands and puts Peridot down. Connie pipes up.

"Thank you, Peridot, for letting me stay here. I thanked Lapis earlier but it would feel wrong not to thank you as well."

"It is no issue, Connie! It's good to get visitors out here."

Connie pulls the blue and gem gems into a group hug which both gems reciprocate. They form a perfect triangle around Pumpkin who makes happy Pumpkin dog noises in response. Connie lets go and she goes outside calling for Lion. The familiar noise of a portal opening rings out and it followed up by a small roar/growl. Connie gets onto Lion and shouts.

"Take me home, Lion!"

And Lion quickly reciprocates her demand blasting away another portal ripping through space-time to do something as simple as take this teen girl home to her parents.

Peridot is the first to speak up after Connie leaves.

"So do you want to continue re-watching 'Camp Pining Hearts' or-"

"Connie was going to text Steven."

Peridot pauses to think for a milli-moment.

"Okay?"

"So maybe he didn't lose his phone on Homeworld like I was worried about!"

Peridot continues staring at her Blue wife just letting her continue her train of thought. The green gem couldn't stop her blue counterpart right now if she tried.

"We should try Calling Steven, Peridot! He'll probably answer."

Lapis sounds a little panicked and Peridot doesn't like it when Lapis sounds panicked.

"Of course! Let me go get my tablet."

Peridot climbs the stairs back up to the loft and walks over to the couch area. She left her tablet leaning up against the piece of sitting-furniture. Peridot picks it up and goes ahead to unlock it. The background on Peridot's tablet is a picture of Lapis and Peridot after their wedding. Lapis in her wedding dressed and Peridot in her suit. Lapis had a small contented smile, the kind Lapis is prone to but only when she's really, genuinely happy. Peridot looked far less photogenic. She was tugging at the neck of her collar as the suit was starting to feel uncomfortable and you could see it on her face. Lapis loves this picture; she won't ever give the reason. Volunteering to say. 'If I tell you why it's special then it won't be as special anymore.'

Peridot didn't fully get it but at the same time she did. Earth was confusing and it made people do and say confusing things. Those things aren't so bad though, not in Peridot's experience so far.

Peridot takes the tablet back down the loft stairs.

"Alright Lapis, get ready we're going to video chat!"

Peridot presses all the necessary buttons on the screen then Steven's icon appears in a small circle with a series of smaller dots lining the bottom showing the video buffering. The call rings for a while before eventually the screen goes black and then displays an image of Steven outside of his house on the beach.

"Hey, guys."

Steven says this simply, a note of disappointment all over his face.

The conversation goes on as one normally would for a few moments. Lapis after a bit interjected with a question that was sure to change everything.

"How was space?"

Her intrigue genuine, hints of anxiety lining the back of her mind. Every fiber of her being hoping for him to say 'good' or that he got away before REALLY getting onto Homeworld.

"Yes, tell us everything!"

Lapis' green wife added on.

Steven laughed. He told the whole story. Surrendering himself, getting to Homeworld standing in front of Blue diamond and-

"You were in front of BLUE diamond?"

"And Yellow. Then I was able to run away-"

"YOU RAN?! From BLUE and YELLOW diamond?"

Lapis turns back around to the green gem.

"Peridot. We need to leave Earth. _Now_.

:"Wait, wha-" Was the last Steven would have heard before Lapis hung up the tablet and lightly tossed it onto the ground. She ran back to the barn and her breathing had picked up significantly. Peridot looked down at her tablet lying on the grass then back to her panicking wife. She opted to ignore the tablet for now and to calm Lapis down.

A familiar but faint noise of a warp pad activating is heard in the distance.

"Lapis, what do you mean 'leave Earth'?" We live here!"

"I meant what I meant Peridot. We need to leave Earth now, we can't waste time discussing this right now."

"But what about all of our crops?"

Peridot's voice wavered a bit. The suddenness of this decision was taking a toll on her.

"Forget the plants-" Steven appears out of the corn stalks. "Oh good, Steven. You're here. Let's go."

"What? Lapis what are you talking about?"

Lapis stamps her foot down and says she is getting caught up in another war and that her and Peridot are leaving Earth forever. Peridot protests in multiple different ways but each time the green gem's wife has an answer right up her sleeve leading right up to her literally lifting the whole barn out of the ground using the water from the smaller than average lake. In what seems like Peridot's final moments on Earth she notices that Pumpkin has gone missing prompting Lapis, Peridot and Steven all to look for Pumpkin together. Lapis takes to the sky and flies off in one direction while Steven and Peridot scour the land by foot.

Lapis heads off into the direction that is more plains and crops while Peridot and Steven went towards the nearby forest. Lapis attempts to get a bird's eye view on pumpkin but to no avail. She eventually comes by a pumpkin patch, and immediately starts flying towards it. Hovering just above the patch she starts calling out to her pumpkin dog.

"PUMPKIN!"

She doesn't get a response or see any kind of stirring about. The pumpkin patch in question is actually quite large. Pumpkin could very well be pretending to be one of these pumpkins as some form of playing.

"Pumpkin! We don't have time to be playing around. If you're here you better come out right this second or you're in trouble!"

Still, nobody came.

"Fine. I guess I'm going to have to come find you.

 **~Some time later~**

Lapis had to have overturned every single pumpkin in this pumpkin patch to no success. All of these plants were just that. They were plants. Lapis looked at the sun and noticed it was getting lower and darker on the Horizon. Her mind started to race.

"We need to get off this planet. They could come any moment. They could come at any moment and we could get stuck on this planet and stuck in a war."

"I could get stuck in a war" Lapis emphasized.

Lapis sprouts her water wings and is off in an instant.

Flying back to the barn, Lapis' thoughts have not stopped. They just kept spiraling and spiraling deeper and deeper down.

"I just. Could I convince Peridot to leave without Pumpkin? Could I live with myself if I were even able to do that? Maybe Steven can make us a new Pumpkin? Would that even be the same? It wouldn't be the same. We lost Pumpkin, and now we're going to lose Earth to another war."

Lapis tries to calm down, to no avail. Her heartbeat is wild and her breathing even more so.

"But we're not going to lose our home. I'm going to take our home with us. I'm going to no matter what. I don't know what to do about Pumpkin but I know that as long as we have our home and I have Peridot then everything is going to be A-okay.

The barn began getting nearer and near in sight. Lapis prepared herself to have an uncomfortable conversation with Peridot. It was for their own good though and surely Peridot had to see that, what, with her logical brain. Lapis could see two figures near some of the corn stalks. Presumably they were Steven and Peridot. A little bit closer and Lapis noticed someone else-

It was Pumpkin!

"Oh good, you guys found her!" Lapis lands next to them. "Alright Peridot, let's go."

Lapis raises her hands and quicker than quick the barn in its entirety is suspended in the air, encased in a giant water bubble, once again. Steven looked nervously to Peridot and Peridot looked nervously back to Steven. Peridot finally speaks up.

"Lapis, Pumpkin doesn't want to go."

Lapis side glances Peridot holding Pumpkin.

"Pumpkin doesn't know better. We do."

"Actually, I don't want to go either."

Lapis' concentration immediately snaps and the barn crashed back down into place with a loud 'boom'.

Hurt swathed all over Lapis' face. "Peridot, what are you saying."

"I don't want to be somewhere else floating through space if something happens on Earth, I want to be here for it!"

"No. Nonononononononono! Why are saying this now?"

Peridot wavers slightly, but resolves and stays strong.

"because is the last moment I have TO say something."

"But doesn't that make this the worst time to say it?"

Peridot Panicked. Her expression widened. She couldn't think of anything to really say.

"Yes." Was all that came out.

Lapis crossed her arms defensively. She looked back sadly at her little green gem.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Peridot pulls her hands to together, and nervously begins to speak, pulling the words together as she is saying them.

"There are many things that might upset you to hear, so I do my best to not say those things even when I probably should."

Lapis' expression hardened.

"Peridot, that's just lying!"

"I know, but you see, the truth is-"

Peridot steps closer to Lapis

"I think when the time comes, if- if the diamonds do try and come to Earth to wipe from the galaxy, that we shouldn't just uproot everything and leave. We should fight for this life we've built no matter what."

Peridot holds her small green hands to her chest.

"I think we can win."

Peridot meet Lapis' gaze straight-on but with a loving softness.

"I think YOU can win."

Lapis looks down at Peridot and see the green gem extend one of her hands towards her. She looks her wife back in the eyes to hear her say:

"Earth is our home now. Isn't it worth fighting for?"

In an instant, Lapis tore through the entire emotional spectrum. She didn't know what she was feeling. Everything in her body was telling her to run. Everything about her experience was telling her to take flight, but everything in front of her was telling her to stay. She looked down at Peridot's extended hand, then she looked at her smiling face and that face told her everything she needed to know. Peridot wasn't just saying they could win- that Lapis could win – just to get her to stay. Every bit of Peridot's light believed in Lapis. The green gem had so much faith in Lapis and all of this emotion is conveyed in those loving eyes and tiny smile.

Lapis knew it was going to be hard for the long haul, but she knew that this was the best course of action.

The blue gem turned around with a shadow covering her eyes.

"I'm not getting caught up in another war."

In that moment Lapis felt her heartbreak. The blue gem couldn't turn around to see what affect her words had on her green wife. She elected instead to use her power to once again lift the whole barn out of the ground, and finally she sprouted her wings and was no longer landlocked. Lapis stopped for a moment. Something inside of Lapis possessed her to turn around and get one last look at Peridot, even though she knew what she would find. She looked back and she knew what she would see, but just not the depth of it.

Peridot's face was blank. Not the kind of blank like when you don't know the answer to a question, but the kind of blank when can almost feel your spirit leaving your body. Her eyes were big and shocked, and her mouth slightly agape as she couldn't do anything and couldn't say anything is the light of Lapis leaving and taking their home with her.

Lapis clenched her eyes shut. A momentary amount of indecision crept through her mind, but she fought it off and resolved herself, flying deeper into space.

She and the Barn became nothing but a blip in the distance.

Peridot, practically turned to stone by all of this is just standing there in front of the crater that once held her barn.

The place her and Lapis lived in.

The place her and Lapis met and became friends.

The place she and Lapis fell in love in.

The place she and Lapis were building their new life at.

All gone.

Steven walks up slowly to Peridot, Pumpkin following closely behind.

"C'mon Peridot. Let's go."

Peridot did say anything didn't move. Her body wouldn't allow her too.

Pumpkin barked up at Peridot and that shook Peridot out of her trance, but only into the shocking pit of realization. Peridot feels a hand on her shoulder. Peridot jumps back violently, leaving a confused Steven in the wake.

"Peridot, c'mon. Let me take you back to the temple. It'll be better than stay here."

Stone-cold and stoic, the green gem shot back.

"By a purely objective standpoint, I suppose that makes some sense."

Steven nervously laughed.

Peridot did not.

Peridot walks away from Steven, with only Pumpkin in tow. Steven elects to not ask where the green gem is going. He finds out soon enough however when Peridot walks over and picks her tablet off the ground, one of her only possessions not in the barn at the time. Peridot then makes a direct B-line towards the direction of the warp pad- not even bothering to call back to Steven. Steven takes notice and catches up to her. The pair walked side by side but no one said anything and thanks to Lapis ripping an entire chuck out of the ground, dropping it and lifting it back up again, most of the wildlife had fled and this made the countryside extra eerie and quiet.

The duo makes it to the war pad eventually. Steven looks to Peridot. Her gaze is soulless and devoid of any light. He looks down at Pumpkin and she is staring sadly up to Peridot.

Steven sighs then activates the warp pad.

Moments later they are all in the middle of Steven's house.

"C'mon, P. I know where you can stay."

Steven tries to crack a small smile towards her, but with no effect.

Steven goes up to his room and grabs some spare comforters and blankets and quickly makes his way to his bathroom. Steven opens the door and flicks on the light switch. He sets the comforters inside of the tub, making it a shade more comfortable.

"Alright, you're all set up."

Peridot trudges over to the jury-rigged bedding and weakly climbs in

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

Peridot groans out.

Steven takes a spot sitting right in front of the tub and pumpkin rests right next to him. Peridot manages to turn herself around.

"So what do we do now?"

Steven is shocked. The inflection in Peridot's voice wasn't the stoic one from before but instead the sadness oozed from every word, and Steven felt every bit of it. Steven himself couldn't help but feel responsible for what happening.

If he hadn't of given himself up Connie wouldn't be mad at him.

If he hadn't of given himself up he might have been able to avoid going to Homeworld entirely.

If he hadn't given himself up then Lapis might still be here and Peridot would be a destroyed shell of her former self.

Steven couldn't get these thoughts out of his mind, and that made it really hard for Steven to talk with Peridot right now because he is directly responsible for this.

And Peridot has to be thinking that as well.

But Steven had to say something.

"We wait."

Peridot, unsatisfied with this answer rolled back over, groaning the whole way there. Steven could hold it in anymore and he started to cry. Knees to his chest and face in his knees crying.

Peridot didn't say or do anything hearing this. She continued to lay in her makeshift bed and just tried processing everything that happened.

Eventually Steven left after the rest of the crystal gems heard crying coming from the bathroom and knocked on the door to check what was going on.

Steven's words were muffled and quiet to Peridot, but you didn't need to be brilliant to decipher what he was saying to them.

Eventually the muffled noises stopped, or at least went further way and now Peridot was totally and truly alone, except for Pumpkin. Everything in the room was quiet but Peridot's mind hasn't stopped screaming since Lapis left. Peridot still didn't even really know where she was or who she was. Everything that happened was real but she felt so detached from reality that it seemed like it was happening to someone else but every grueling second passed like an hour and was a reminder that this was happening to her. Time couldn't seem to move forward and for a gem this feeling was even more dreadful because the idea that this emptiness could last forever was a real possibility for her. Peridot used her powers and weakly grabbed her tablet that she left on the sink. She began typing things into it

 _When a wife leaves a wife what's it called_

The tablet told her that this was called divorce. It's apparently very common for humans to do this and she couldn't believe people were okay doing this to one another.

 _What do you do when you're the saddest you've ever been and don't know what to do_

Peridot got a myriad of answer back with this one. Ranging from being more active, to taking medications, or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

Would medications even really affect her? Or alcohol? Peridot thought about it for a moment. She remembers a story about Amethyst told about getting food poisoning, and she remembers her own bruised face after Pearl punched her.

For non-organic beings gems sure had a lot of organic tendencies.

Peridot decided against any of the aforementioned solutions to her sadness. She was too unmotivated to be active or attempt trying medication and discerned that alcohol may not be the best solution.

Peridot clicked off of her browser and she was brought right back to her background photo, the wedding photo.

And for some reason everything started to hit her right then and there.

Mountains and mountains of memories all flooding forth through Peridot's mind.

Forcing Lapis to come back to Earth.

Re-meeting back at the barn.

Trying to break the ice and be friends.

The dreams Peridot had of her.

The dreams Lapis had of Peridot.

The wedding.

Their first kiss in the rain after chasing her through a torrential storm.

Getting Pumpkin.

Andy giving them the barn.

The fights.

The Meep Morps.

'Camp Pining Hearts'.

Making Lapis feel better after her encounter with Jasper.

Growing their crops.

Talking about Homeworld

Talking about Earth.

Thinking about their future.

Peridot couldn't hold it in anymore. Her cold, calculated façade faded and she could no longer keep her composure. Peridot started bawling. Her crying completely bypassed any kind of build-up and went straight into the full-on, ugly, loud bawling. The tears were hot falling from Peridot's face, staining the comforters Peridot was lying on. Peridot tried multiple times to get herself to stop because she didn't want anyone to hear her or anyone to check on her, but every time she would try to take a deep breathe it would get stopped short by her sobbing forcing her to breathe out. She took off her visor a chucked it to the other side of the tub allowing her to wipe away the tears more effectively.

Pumpkin stands there, looking sadly up at her green momma. Pumpkin decides to jump into the tub to be closer to Peridot. In an attempt to comfort her Pumpkin begins licking on of Peridot's arms, as any dog would do to try and get their owners attention. Peridot looks down at her pumpkin dog and scoops her up in her arms, and continues to cry.

Things continue like this for an unknown amount of time. Peridot eventually settled down and her crying ceased. Her eyes were dry and her face was soaked with tear stains. Pumpkin asleep on Peridot's lap

"You know, Pumpkin, I thought things couldn't get much worse when I lost the purpose Homeworld gave me after I called Yellow Diamond a clod. I wasn't doing well. But then I created a new purpose for myself. I made my own life her on Earth and I began living. I began doing things because I WANTED to do them and not because I had to or was designed to."

Peridot squeezes Pumpkin a little tighter.

"And Lapis was a big part of that. The biggest part, even. Sure I had my time with Steven and the gems beforehand learning about Earth and becoming a new person but for almost everything Lapis and I were learning it together. We learned so much together and learned to love so much stuff about this planet together. She made it easy to not miss homeworld."

Peridot starts to weakly sob again

"But now-" _***sniff***_ "But now she's gone. Lapis is gone and I'm still here. Lapis is gone and she might not ever come back. We shared everything and I don't know what I am going to do now that she-she isn't here because anything I do I am always going to be thinking about her and thinking about how she isn't here."

Peridot falls back, now lying flat on the comforters. Pumpkin still fast sleep on her lap.

"And probably isn't ever coming back."

Peridot reached over to her tablet once more. Taking a deep breathe to keep herself together enough to get past the background photo. Peridot selects the TubeTube app and types _Sad music_ into the search bar. Peridot indiscriminantly picks the first option which turns out to be sad country music.

Peridot lets the music play for a few seconds before announcing to no one,

"This music is a perfect summation of my mood."

Peridot leans over the side of the tub, letting body hang lazily over as sad cowboy music fills the air.


End file.
